Thursday, 11 August 2016

Don't judge a book by its cover!

Some people I saw criticizing a well-known Indian Aalim because of some mistakes according to them have found in his books. I thought of an example in my mind as how our new generations have come up with new criteria for judging our Ulama. The example I have is that of a Medical Doctor. A doctor who after studying many many years and practicing another many years, one of the major task done by any doctor is writing a prescription for their patients.

A high school student who has good command at English started going through their prescriptions and figured out mistakes in their spellings and writing styles. He even saw some doctors have written even the basic Panadol in a wrong way.

This young person now makes a claim that sounds to be right for other students of his level '_How come one become a doctor without knowing the spelling_. A mistake in prescription means life and death'. Isn't it so serious!!' Those in his level of understanding said 'Yes, very true and very clear' So many followed him and started judging doctors based on their correctness of spellings in their prescriptions.

As a matter of fact, those who know who a doctor is, knows this is at all not a criteria. Doctors are evaluated by their immense services done to humanity and it is their sincerity, dedications etc that matters. A spelling mistake will never defame their reputation.

Likewise, some of our brothers have come up new criteria for judging our early and current Ulama based on the minute accuracy of their books or their works. Some of them even started correcting their works as well. Even though our Ulamas were never judged this way throughout Islamic history.

Some people said about Bishr al Hafi (rah) that he is not an Aalim. Hearing this Ahmed Bin Hanbal (rah) said, But he has the fruits of knowledge which is خشية الله 'Fear of Allah'. Also he said about him. "*I know more Sunnah and Hadith than Bishr al-Hafi, but he knows Allah better than I do*."

So don't be confused by the new criteria that have come up judging Ulama of Deen. It's not all about their books and spellings that value. It's the services that have done to the Deen of Allah for His sake that value. it's the fruits of knowledge that values. It's the wisdom and knowledge they had in their life that values.